Debbie and I enjoyed a gorgeous weekend at Cedars of Lebanon State Park with a full campground of folks who had the Fall weather in mind as much as we did. By the time we arrived at the park, all of the prime camping spaces were occupied. We were grateful to find even one, reasonably level space to park, even if it meant that we’d have very little privacy due to the nearby entry drive.

Our plan was to take some time to play with our toys. For Deb, that meant a sewing machine on the park provided picnic table. For me, that translated into trying out a potter’s wheel that I purchased several months ago but had not found a time (or place) where I could make a big mess at the house. The Sew & Throw Circus was a success although neither of us set any world records for production. What we did produce was entertainment and conversation for many of our fellow campers as they walked by…and stopped by. I probably mentioned before that making ceramic musical instruments in a state park draws a crowd, but this time we seemed to draw a lot of conversation. People are fascinated with folks who do strange things in campgrounds…probably like some people are entertained by shoppers at Wal-Mart.

I count myself as one who is still fascinated by potters who make things on a wheel, and make it look so effortless. I am not part of that effortless fraternity, but I do have fun with it. As it turns out (no pun intended) there are people who seem to enjoy watching someone who is giving it the ‘ole college try. To all those new friends, we say Thank You!…and be sure to catch the circus the next time it passes through a campground near you.

It has been almost a month since I constructed a playable ceramic instrument but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking (and sketching) about it. For over a year, every instrument that I constructed was purely pinch-pot-handmade…and now I am discovering new possibilities with pieces and parts that are wheel thrown. Case in point: the two mugs pictured include horn-like appendages but they do not play, but the whimsy of MugPhlutes is still there, lurking just beneath the surface. These are more like steins than mugs, but they open the door for a musical instrument genre of semi-utilitarian sculptural pieces. These two were designed to rest either vertically (for function) but to appear more sculptural when setting horizontally.

To avoid breaking a record for consecutive months of instrument building, there shall be an ocarina forthcoming soon, even if it is very small…we can’t commit MugPhlute heresy, now can we?

I will be showing ceramic musical instruments in a public show next February and March and that is pretty exciting. Other than a few craft shows and private sales, this really qualifies as my first exhibit…and that makes me a little nervous. There are several pieces that are show ready now, but I’d like to do something that specifically addresses the theme: Invention and Creativity.

Conceptually, here is where I’m going: Imagine a small ensemble, perhaps 3 or 4 musicians playing what appears to be a family of instruments…and not necessarily the traditional families of woodwinds, brass, percussion, etc. The ‘family’ simply looks like they need to be played as an ensemble. The key instrument would be an ocarina and key, in this definition, means that the ocarina would be the determining factor as to what musical key the ensemble plays. The second instrument would be a lamellophone, constructed from mixed media (clay and steel), and tunable to the fixed key of the ocarina. The remaining instruments would be more traditional, but whimsically formed, percussion instruments…probably drums and rattles, all constructed from clay. OK, so now the foundation for a display is set. What would make this more creative and inventive, but an original composition?

So here is the plan: design the instruments (probably a few variations of each), construct and fire the ceramics involved, complete the assemblies with whatever media is needed, determine the range of sounds (essentially the musical palette), compose some music to match the limits of the instruments, record music, master the music for a digital playback device, procure or build a display system that includes playback capabilities…and then wonder, sleeplessly for night-on-end before the show, if anyone would have a clue as to what was involved in the process I just described? Ha!

The answers matter little at this point. I have just enough time to pull this off and make a decision as to whether this would make the show or not… I just think it would be sufficiently unique, that it would bring smiles to faces and an element of fun for the Invention and Creativity theme. The pressure is off as long as I keep this a secret, right? Oh. Wait!